Bill White hits the ‘trifecta’ with return to public office as DuPage County auditor

Newly elected DuPage County Auditor Bill White overcame the odds to defeat incumbent Bob Grogan in the race for DuPage County auditor.

The Downers Grove attorney said he is excited for the opportunity to make his mark on the office.

“Things are pretty good already, but I want to bring my perspective,” White said. “We want to continue providing good government to people of DuPage County.”

White took office Dec. 1, after winning an extremely close race against Grogan, a Downers Grove Republican.

Grogan, who served three terms as auditor, lost to White by less than 100 votes and called for a recount

White said he wants to examine different areas of county operations to promote greater efficiency and effectiveness.

White plans on talking to staff to identify areas of strength and opportunity in the auditor’s office. He said he has some priorities in mind for the office, but he is taking the time to get acclimated for now.

“This county is blessed with tremendous staff,” White said. “They know what they’re doing. It’s making my transition much easier.”

White’s brother, Mark, said Bill has long shown a commitment to community and politics.

“It’s in him,” Mark White said. “That’s just Bill. He likes making a difference. He wants to be in a leadership position.”

White, a former the Downers Grove commissioner and former board president for the Community High School District 99 board of education, has long been active in the DuPage County politico scene.

“Coming to DuPage is kind of a trifecta,” he said of the three elected offices in which he has served.

Downers Grove Commissioner Greg Hose is familiar with White from working alongside him on the Downers Grove Village Council. He heaped praise on White for winning his bid to become auditor.

“Bill is a guy who is full of ideas,” Hose said. “I thought that was a great strength. He was always trying to think of a better way to reach not just a good solution but the right solution to a problem.”

White said the gains made by DuPage County Democrats in the Nov. 3 election did not surprise him.

“The suburban areas all over the country are shifting strongly towards Democrats,” he said.

In the Nov. 3 election, the voters flipped the county board’s majority to blue and hold an 11-17 advantage on the board. Democrats Amy Chavez, Paula Deacon Garcia, Lynn LaPlante and Greg Schwarze were the four Democrats elected to the board in the November election.

“I foresaw that we knew it wasn’t a guaranteed thing, but I thought we’d do well,” White said.

White acknowledged that campaigning in the era of COVID-19 brought its share of challenges. He relied on social media and distributing literature when taking to the campaign trail.

White said the rest is history.

White said he is proud of what he accomplished in the Nov. 3 election, but realizes there is work to be done, and he is ready to serve the people of DuPage County.

He cited his previous governmental experience, saying he has a lot of takeaways from serving on the Downers Grove Village Council and District 99 board.

“That experience helped immensely because we voted on budgets in both cases,” he said. “At the village, I was mayor pro tem. I got to participate with the mayor and village manager in weekly briefings. I learned a lot.”

Hose believes White is fully qualified to serve as auditor, an opinion supported by White’s brother.

“He deals with tons of finances constantly,” Mark White said. “Most of the cases involves some type of finance or an issue where you have to analyze financial portfolios.”